Chapter 5 - The Scent of Flight

                The air in Andrea’s room bristled with a tension that made my skin prickle, as we awaited Lilias arrival.

She didn’t disappoint us, like a shadow she stepped into the room, causing us to exhale in relief. She moved with an urgency that spoke of unseen threats, her eyes, usually bright and knowing, now clouded with a deep concern.

In her hand, she held a small, intricately carved vial, its contents shimmer with an otherworldly glow.

“This is it,” she stated, holding the bottle up to my face. “The stronger potion. It will mask your scent, but Zela, understand this. It is not a shield against the bond. He has felt you and that bond is a part of you now, woven into the very fabric of your being. Your destiny is already intertwined.”

Her warning was on deaf ears, all I could think of is the desired elixir, a viscous liquid the color of twilight, its scent a strange, heady mix of herbs and something ancient, something wild and untamed. It pulsed with a faint, inner light, as if holding the secrets of the moon itself.

“He will come for you,” Lilias continued, her words a stark warning. “Prince Raul is not just any Lycan. The Moon Goddess leads him by the hand. His senses are sharper, his power greater. This is highly risky, Zela, the stakes here are higher than you can imagine.”

As I took the vial, my hand trembled slightly.

At first, I hesitated, Lilias's words settling on my soul like a suffocating shroud, distorting the air around me. Then, after a deep breath, I still threw it down my throat with a jerk.

The liquid burned like molten fire, a searing that spread through my veins, making me gasp.

 A wave of dizziness swept over me, and for a moment, the room spun. The familiar scents of the packhouse, the comforting smell of pine and damp earth around the pack land, faded, replaced by a strange emptiness, a void where my own scent should have been. I felt like a ghost, untethered, adrift.

Era moved within me, a restless energy, a silent scream of protest.

The potion was affecting her too, suppressing her, binding her in a way I had never experienced before. A cold dread settled in my stomach. This was not just masking my scent, it was silencing a part of my soul as well.

“It’s working,” Andrea said with a nervous relief. “But we need to move quickly. We don’t know how soon he’ll realize you’re gone.”

“Remember, the antidote is with me only. Come find me when needed, but I think the Lycan Prince can deal with it too,” Lilias sighed.

Andrea had already packed a small bag for me, filled with essential items and a few human clothes. She had also managed to gather some human currency and a basic phone, a lifeline in the unfamiliar world of Human Town.

“You’ll need to blend in,” Andrea explained, her tone practical. “Avoid drawing attention. Stay in crowded areas, and don’t use your abilities unless absolutely necessary. Humans are quite unpredictable.”

We discussed the logistics of my temporary departure, the routes I could take, the places I could hide until we figured out how to handle this impossible mate bond. Andrea had even managed to secure a ride for me to the outskirts of Human Town, a contact who owed her a favor and wouldn’t ask questions.

“I wrote a letter for Erico,” I said, my voice thick with emotion while I handed her the envelop. “Please, give it to him after a few days. I don’t want him to follow me yet. I need him to know I'm coming back to him.”

The thought of leaving Erico, even for a short time, tore at my heart, a searing pain. But I knew this was temporary.

 I would return to him.

I wouldn’t let anything, not even a fated mate, steal him from me. I had to protect him, to protect our future, until we could face this together.

Outside, a distant, agonized howl echoed through the trees, a chilling reminder of the hunt that had begun. It was a deep emotional cry that struck a chord within me, a pain that felt intimately familiar, it’s about losing your best part.

“He’s close,” Lilias said, getting to the window and scanning the surrounding for any sign of danger. “We need to hurry.”

Andrea used her abilities to try and catch a glimpse of Prince Raul’s movements, but the shadows were thick, and his presence was like a storm, obscuring everything.

“He’s moving fast,” she declared strained. “He’s searching every inch of the territory.”

The gravity of the situation was obvious, we were running out of time.

It was time for the farewell, a moment of heart-wrenching goodbyes.

I hugged Andrea tightly, her warmth a fleeting comfort.

“Thank you,” I whispered choked with tears. “For everything. I’ll be back. We’ll figure this out.”

Andrea’s eyes were filled with unshed tears.

“Be safe, Zela,” she said barely audible. “We’ll find a way to fix this. And we’ll take you back to Erico and Eclipse Moon. This is just a temporarily leave.”

Lilias placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Remember what I said,” she warned, her eyes piercing. "This is not just about hiding, you are also fleeing your destiny. Don't forget to find me in my coven once the dust settles.”

As I slipped out of the window, I paused, looking back at the packhouse of Silver Bow. It stood silhouetted against the rising sun, a symbol of the pack life I was temporarily leaving behind. A life I would return to, a life with Erico. A wave of sadness swept over me. I wasn’t saying goodbye, I was saying “see you soon.”

I turned and ran, my feet pounding against the forest floor, my heart pounding in my chest.

 I was running from a mate, from a bond that defied all logic, for a temporary reprieve. And I was running towards the unknown, towards a world of humans, where I would have to learn to survive, to fit in, to gather my strength, so I could return to Erico, to my pack, to my life.

Shortly after, I spotted Andrea’s friend’s car. He flashed the headlights a few times to affirm his position.

I quickly ran over and hopped into the tinted vehicle.